North Carolina Advocacy Conference 1 FIRST®\ North Carolina Advocacy Conference

Inspiring youth to become science & technology leaders and innovators, FIRST® is... Inspiring youth to become science & technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting, mentor-guided programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities. Ages 6-10 (Grades K–4) Ages 9-14 (Grades 4-8)

530K 255K 19M+ $81M 2,900+ 69K FIRST® – 2017-18 Season Recap students on 61k teams In 95 countries 255K Mentor, Coach, Judge, & Volunteer roles 19M+ Volunteer hours $81M scholarship opportunities from nearly 200 providers 2,900+ events in 91 countries 69K participants at annual FIRST® Championships “The only sport where everyone who plays can turn pro”

FIRST® – 2017-18 Season Recap Program FY 2017 Actual (2016-17) (2017-18) FY 2018 Season FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. 7,252 (eq) NA teams + 3,403 ONA 10,655 WW 9,799 (eq) in NA +6,626 ONA 16,452 WW (+54% YoY) FIRST® LEGO® League 17,414 (eq) NA teams + 13,665 ONA 31,079 WW 19,022 (eq) in NA + 16,011 ONA 35,033 WW (+13% YoY) FIRST® Tech Challenge 4,562 teams NA + 660 ONA 5,222 WW 5,241 in NA + 780 ONA 6,021 WW (+15% YoY) FIRST® Robotics Competition 3,357 WW 3,660 WW (+9% YoY) Total Teams: Student Participants: 50,313 WW 448,707 61,139 WW (+22% YoY) 530,524 (+18% YoY) (O)NA = (Outside) North America WW = Worldwide YoY = Year over Year 4

FIRST® – 2017-18 Season Recap Teams by U.S. State / Territory 248 571 % State # FLL Jr Teams # FLL # FTC # FRC Total # of Teams Across All 4 FIRST Programs Estimated Total # of Youth Participants FIRST Participants as % of Total Youth Population (ages 6 - 18) Alaska 65 194 50 1 310 2,467 1.88% Alabama 38 95 12 14 159 1,458 0.18% Arkansas 34 71 20 25 150 1,597 0.31% Arizona 69 349 60 543 5,356 0.45% California 667 1753 405 314 3139 29,926 Colorado 157 336 67 36 596 5,200 0.56% Connecticut 203 40 51 444 4,199 0.72% DC 9 8 11 53 609 0.78% Delaware 68 79 16 3 166 1,275 0.85% Florida 569 725 172 80 1546 12,934 0.43% Georgia 201 749 118 82 1150 10,428 Guam 17 21 2 320 0.55% Hawaii 76 124 29 254 2,363 1.11% Iowa 228 412 210 28 878 7,464 1.40% Idaho 57 177 33 15 282 2,463 0.77% Illinois 267 630 181 1135 9,877 0.46% Indiana 121 324 75 49 5,293 Kansas 39 106 24 1,932 0.37% Kentucky 70 305 2,515 0.34% Louisiana 83 31 37 301 2,933 Massachusett 133 465 87 78 763 7,338 0.70% Maryland 235 398 117 790 6,764 0.69% Maine 56 89 26 173 1,718 0.89% Michigan 616 527 436 508 2087 24,972 1.53% Minnesota 257 641 193 215 1306 13,975 1.49% Missouri 317 488 187 73 1065 9,501 0.94% Mississippi 84 176 1,657 Montana 90 139 1,176 0.71% FIRST 2017-2018 Season % State # FLL Jr Teams # FLL # FTC # FRC Total # of Teams Across All 4 FIRST Programs Estimated Total # of Youth Participants FIRST Participants as % of Total Youth Population (ages 6 - 18) North Carolina 248 571 100 66 985 8,706 0.51% North Dakota 16 98 11 4 129 1,090 0.90% Nebraska 29 114 22 3 168 1,381 0.41% New Hampshire 713 176 33 43 965 7,091 3.53% New Jersey 213 414 185 81 893 8,465 0.58% New Mexico 88 103 8 221 1,772 0.49% Nevada 64 101 24 15 204 1,807 0.37% New York 494 841 262 172 1769 16,612 0.55% Ohio 373 557 104 1098 9,334 0.48% Oklahoma 140 199 72 48 459 4,352 0.63% Oregon 135 432 51 822 7,581 1.19% Pennsylvania 260 461 136 67 924 8,283 0.42% Puerto Rico 1 35 295 0.05% Rhode Island 69 44 6 1,238 0.78% South Carolina 186 333 37 45 601 5,275 0.65% South Dakota 31 59 95 723 Tennessee 76 255 25 34 390 3,596 0.33% Texas 560 1533 670 163 2926 26,399 0.50% Utah 294 53 443 3,914 0.59% Virginia 242 569 167 75 1053 9,549 0.70% Vermont 21 19 17 5 62 573 Washington 229 628 173 102 1132 10,678 0.91% Wisconsin 383 50 61 657 6,067 West Virginia 118 120 13 254 1,873 0.68% Wyoming 46 146 1,192 APO 125 27 200 1,558 TOTAL 9,222 18,074 5,159 3,024 35,479 327,114 0.61%

FIRST® – 2017-18 Season Recap Teams by Country TOTAL 16,425 35,033 Country Rank by Student Count Country FLL Jr FLL FTC FRC Total # of Teams Est. # of Student Participants FIRST Students as % of Total Population Ages 6-18 1 United States 9,222 18,074 5,159 3,024 35,479 327,114 0.61% 2 China & Hong Kong 1,000 4,263 398 83 5,744 46,159 0.02% 3 Canada 577 948 59 249 1,833 17,861 0.37% Highest % Penetration 4 Spain 340 1,550 1,890 14,440 0.22% 5 Australia 450 780 34 52 1,316 10,580 0.30% 6 Israel 550 530 44 70 1,194 9,730 0.52% 7 Russia 681 428 56 1,165 8,070 0.04% 8 Turkey 381 459 53 893 7,283 9 Mexico 145 445 23 81 694 6,685 10 United Kingdom 251 558 812 6,045 0.06% 11 Netherlands 97 599 17 717 5,644 12 Germany 574 640 5,043 0.05% 13 Denmark 112 454 566 4,304 0.50% 14 Brazil 518 4,144 0.01% 15 Norway 75 362 438 3,371 0.41% 16 Korea, South 89 263 32 384 2,958 Estonia 280 139 419 2,792 1.67% 18 Egypt 181 140 335 2,346 19 Greece 142 156 298 2,100 0.16% 20 Italy 109 151 260 1,862 21 Chile 30 207 237 1,836 22 Singapore 209 229 1,792 0.24% India 50 222 1,770 0.00% 24 Ukraine 165 95 1,750 0.03% 25 South Africa 117 239 1,708 All Others (70 countries) 1,310 2,874 136 37 4,357 33,137 TOTAL 16,425 35,033 6,021 3,660 61,139 530,524

2018-19 Season: “Space” is the Place Unified “Space” theme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of humankind’s first steps on the Moon to be announced “teaser style” at April 2018 Championship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdGgp1NIvL0

“It’s not about kids building robots, What is FIRST® ? “It’s not about kids building robots, it’s about robots building kids.” Dean Kamen Founder, FIRST

FIRST® Impact: “More than Robots” STEM Awareness, Skills and Intent Increase the number of youth who pursue post- secondary education and careers in STEM-related fields and industries Innovation and Entrepreneurship Inspire youth to become leaders and innovators in their field and society 21st Century Work-Life Skills Enable youth to develop valuable, real-world skills applicable to all career choices and outcomes Ethos of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition®

3.0x 2.2x 3.0x 1.6x 2.4x FIRST® Longitudinal Study 48-month Results of Brandeis University-led Study FIRST participants are significantly more likely to show gains on each STEM-related measure in the study than the comparison group. 3.0x more likely to show gains in STEM Interest 2.2x more likely to show gains in STEM Activity 3.0x more likely to show gains in STEM Career Interest 1.6x more likely to show gains in STEM Identity 2.4x more likely to show gains in STEM Knowledge Note: Impacts are relative to comparable subgroups in the comparison population with similar backgrounds and achievement in high-school math and science.

STEM-Related Impacts are evident Across All Three Programs, Major Population Groups, and Different Types of Communities

Statistically significant STEM-related impacts are evident across all major population groups Outcomes Males Females Low Income High Income White Non- White STEM Interest + STEM Activity STEM Careers STEM Identity STEM Knowledge Note: Plus mark (+) indicates a positive, significant impact at p=.05 or less based on analysis at 48 months after entry into the study. Impacts are relative to comparable subgroups in the comparison population (for example, male FIRST participants compared to male comparison group members). Low income is defined as those whose family income is below $50,000.

Girls in FIRST show significantly greater gains on STEM measures than boys Impacts on STEM-Related Outcomes for Male and Female FIRST Team Members Females in FIRST vs. Female Comparison Students Males in FIRST vs. Male Comparison Students 0.93 0.93 1.00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.58 0.60 0.51 0.50 0.40 0.35 0.33 0.28 0.30 0.27 0.21 0.20 0.11 0.10 0.00 STEM Interest STEM Activity STEM Careers STEM Identity STEM Knowledge Note: Values on the chart represent the differences in outcomes between FIRST participants and students of the same gender in the comparison groups (i.e., the difference in scores between males in FIRST and males in the comparison group and between females in FIRST and female comparison students). All differences are statistically significant at p=.05 or less. The impacts for girls in FIRST are significantly greater than those for boys. 14

Why is FIRST® so important? Education for the 21st Century Education for the Industrial Age (1850 – 2000) Education for the Information Age (2000 – Future) “What you know.” “What you can do with what you know.”

FIRST® National Strategic Objectives Expand Access and Participation, Broad and Deep: All youth have access to a progression of FIRST programs. Exciting, inviting, accessible, and affordable Easy to engage Coherent ecosystems supporting a clear progression of K-12 programs Increase Diversity: Programs serve an inclusive and diverse audience, reflecting the population of the communities we serve. Scale Efficiently: Programs efficiently scale to meet increasing demand, while maintaining world-class quality and promoting our core values Ensure Sustainability: Teams, Partner Organizations, Volunteers, Mentors, and Sponsors Broad-based financial support, including corporate, individual, government, and foundation funding FIRST alumni are committed and engaged for life Achieve Broad Recognition: Universally recognized as the leading life-changing STEM engagement program (i.e., a “Movement”)

FIRST® U.S. Demographic Data Continued Progress Engaging More Young Women % Female Participants Fiscal Year: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 FLL Jr. 31.5% 34.2% 37.0% 37.8% FLL 29.9% 30.8% 32.4% 35.4% FTC 23.1% 23.2% 23.7% 25.3% 25.9% 27.0% 28.2% FRC 25.7% 26.9% 27.8% 28.9% FIRST Overall 25.5% 25.0% 28.0% 29.0% 30.3% 31.6% All US Reporting Youth 80.0% 74.5% 75.0% 74.7% 72.0% 71.0% 69.7% 68.4% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% Great Trend ! 28.0% 29.0% 30.3% 31.6% 30.0% 25.5% 25.0% 25.3% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Linear (Female ) 2017 2018 Linear (Male) Female Male Moving North Carolina Forward Through Advocacy

FIRST® U.S. Demographic Data 2017-18 Season FY 2018 Total US Students (Private + Public) FIRST FIRST LEGO League Jr. League FIRST Tech Challenge FIRST Robotics Competition Engineering Workforce Computer – Technology Workforce Grade Levels: K – 3 4 – 8 7 – 12 9 – 12 (2011 data) Total Students - US 55,511,325 327,114 55,332 144,592 51,590 75,600 2,305,215 3,614,046 Male 51.4% 68.4% 62.2% 64.6% 71.7% 70.9% 86.8% 73.4% Female 48.6% 31.6% 37.8% 35.4% 28.2% 28.9% 13.2% 26.6% White/Caucasian 49.6% 60.7% 62.3% 63.0% 56.5% 60.6% 75.2% 67.9% Black/African American 14.9% 4.1% 3.6% 3.9% 4.3% 4.9% 7.3% Asian 5.0% 20.0% 22.2% 20.3% 21.9% 18.5% 11.3% 16.8% Hispanic 25.4% 10.9% 7.5% 8.7% 13.4% 12.0% 7.1% 6.0% Native American/Alaskan 1.0% 0.4% 0.7% 0.5% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.2% 0.3% Two or More Races 3.5% 4.6% 4.5% 4.7% Free/Reduced Lunch 50% 17.6% 9.8% 12.5% 20.5% 21.8% Important Note: At a time where we all need more insight and impact data, privacy rights and data protection are becoming “hot topics” and an increasing focus of legislation on a global basis.

FY 2018 U.S. School Penetration Schools / Teams Student Enrollment Number of Schools in the U.S. (K-12, Public & Private) 131,890 55,511,325 Number of Public Schools in the U.S. (K-12, Public) 98,271 50,826,429 Number of FIRST Teams in the U.S. 35,479 Number of FIRST Teams associated with at least 1 U.S. school 24,167 Number of U.S. Schools (Public & Private) with at least 1 FIRST Team 13,408 9,694,381 Percent of U.S. Schools (Public & Private) with at least 1 FIRST Team 10.2% 17.5% Number of U.S. Public Schools with at least 1 FIRST Team 11,434 8,931,685 Percent of U.S. Public Schools with at least 1 FIRST Team 11.6% 17.6% 63% of U.S. Public Schools with FIRST teams are Title I schools.

FY 2018 U.S. School-District Penetration U.S. Public School-District Penetration: Number of School Districts in the U.S. (Public) 18,811 Number of U.S. School Districts (Public) with at least one FIRST program 4,197 22.3% Number of U.S. School Districts (Public K-12) 11,496 Number of U.S. School Districts (Public K-12) with at least one FIRST team 3,525 30.7% Number of U.S. School Districts (Public K-12) with full FIRST Progression of Programs 195 1.7%

Growth Strategy School Growth Ease of Engagement Diversity & Inclusion Growth Model Demand Generation Ease of Adoption Positive Experience “FIRST is well- known and highly desirable” “FIRST is easy to adopt” “FIRST provides participants a life- changing experience” School Growth Ease of Engagement Diversity & Inclusion Growth-Oriented, Coherent Local Ecosystems Foundational & Operational Initiatives

Advocacy Overview Our Goal: Make government funds available to schools to enable and support participation in FIRST programs, with an emphasis on engaging under-represented or under-served populations in STEM. Sources of U.S. Public Education Funding for Grades K-12* Federal Funding (9%) Local Funding (41%) State Funding (50%) *Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

U.S. Federal Advocacy Programs: Resources Title IV, Part A: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Community Learning Centers AmeriCorps VISTA Program Perkins Act / Career and Tech Education (CTE) Resources Part-time DC-based Supporters (Thompson Coburn) FIRST HQ Director of External Engagement, Kerri Maxwell Annual National Advocacy Conference

But… Most funding decisions made at state and local levels We have not had any HQ resources focused on the 50 states It would be impossible for HQ resources to be focused on the thousands of towns and cities where local decisions are made

State-Level Examples A growing number of state governments provide support to schools for FIRST teams: Michigan: $2.5m (avg.) per year for past 3 years Texas Workforce Commission: $1m per year for 7 years Iowa Scale-Up Grants: Average of ~$275k per year for 5 years Washington: Grew from $150k/yr in 2011 to $700k/yr in 2015 Oregon: $320k/yr, up from $150k in 2011 Florida: $200k, new funding in 2016; increased to $500k in 2017 Wisconsin: $250k, new grant signed at 2016 FRC Regional event New Hampshire: $375k toward FIRST in every school Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 665 into law at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 FIRST Robotics Wisconsin Regional Competition

Mobilizing State and Local Advocacy Why we are here - Mobilizing State and Local Advocacy Encourage Our Governor, Legislative leaders, State and Local Education leaders, School Boards and Superintendents to attend events and become advocates within their schools Encourage corporations and businesses to advocate on behalf of FIRST and STEM funding Encourage FIRST teams to lobby their state members of congress and governors Encourage teams to attend local school board and PTA/O meetings Seek to have Robotics recognized as a 21st-century sport and provide similar recognition and benefits as provided to other sports or activities

This years goal - Feb 2019 FIRST - To Build Relationships! Make it Loud! Then we help our state Department of Education Local School Boards and Schools tap into ESSA Title IV, Part A and Perkins funding that is available to our state and schools by formula grant. – FIRST activities will compete with many other enrichment programs within your schools for this funding, so ultimately we need to aggressively advocate that priority should be given to support school adoption and access to proven, impactful FIRST programs.

Thank You … … for your passion and commitment to creating the next generation of leaders and innovators.